Chapter IX is devoted to the fifth and sixth trumpets, which no longer refer to the calamities of the natural world, its disorders, but to the action of demonic forces hostile to man. This chapter is distinguished by the greatest accumulation of mythologically sounding images in the whole of Revelation. Through the trumpet of the fifth angel, the seer sees "a star fallen from heaven to earth, and the key to the well of the abyss was given to it" (IX, 1). This star is a fallen angel, who is called Abaddon in Hebrew, and Apollyon (the destroyer) in Greek, Satan who fell from heaven (Lk. X, 8), "and he was given the key to the well of the abyss" (2). The Abyss, in the language of Revelation, is the place of preliminary punishment of the fallen angels, demons, the beast, and the false prophet (XI, 7; XVII, 8; XX, I, 3) (as a dwelling place for demons — see Lk. VIII, 31). "She opened the well of the deep," and smoke came out of her, darkening the sun and the air; here, obviously, spiritual obscuration is understood. Out of the smoke the locusts come out to the earth (parallel to the 8th Egyptian plague: Exod. X, 1-9) (cf. Joel I-II), "having the power of earthly scorpions" (3). These locusts are not given to harm the vegetation of the earth, but only to people who do not have the seal of God (those without grace), and not to kill, but to torment them "for five months", i.e. for a certain certain time. "This torment is like that of a scorpion, when it bites a man" (5), it is the anguish of death, "when men seek death, but will not find it." Obviously, this refers to the spiritual state of black melancholy, which afflicts people and is associated with spiritual illness from the influence of the demonic. Further, the same locust is described not only by spiritual but also by physical features, which are clearly allegorical and mythological, as mighty, non-malevolent anthropomorphic creatures in crowns with female hair and teeth like those of lions, with iron armor, with the noise of wings as from the clatter of chariots from a multitude of horses running to war (cf. Joel II, 4), and with tails, having stingers — the demonic "armored division". For its king it has Abaddon or Apollyon (the destroyer) — if not Satan himself, then, in any sense, the principle of Satan, and its power also extended for five months, that is, for a limited time. It is evident that the seer is consciously speaking here in the language of religious syncretism, which he uses as a means of describing an almost ineffable and indescribable spiritual vision of the misfortunes and devastation that befall the unsealed part of humanity. It seems to us impossible to understand this literally, or even to make only an attempt to interpret the individual features of these images, as well as their combination, even if it is possible to find parallels for them of a religious-historical and comparative-mythological nature. Their true interpretation requires for itself such spiritual clairvoyance, which is not given to modern humanity not only in the form of one or another individual interpreter, but also because of the general state or spiritual age of modern humanity. The comprehension of these images may be a matter for the future, which is still separated from us by a certain historical and mystical transcendence. Such inaccessibility to the interpretation of individual images, of course, does not deprive them of their power and significance, and authenticity as the Word of God, but it remains hidden by the veil of mystery. This calls us to reverence and modesty, which are equally violated by arbitrary and tasteless allegorization, or, on the contrary, by an attempt to open an unopened bud, or to ignore their spiritual meaning by placing these images in the cabinet of curio-historical values. The general meaning of these images is quite clear: it speaks of the effective intervention of demonic forces in human life, which is providentially allowed, although limited by God's Providence, and placed within certain limits. The same has to be said about the sixth pipe. The trumpet of the sixth angel is accompanied by "the voice of one of the four horns of the golden altar standing before God" (13). This signifies a deliberate action of God's Providence, which can also be connected with the prayers of the saints for peace (VIII, 3-4), which precede and, of course, accompany the action of the seven trumpets with their revelations. A voice commands the sixth angel to release the four angels "bound by the river Euphrates." Here the hierarchical and ministerial difference between these messengers and the executor of God's commands, the angel of the sixth trumpet and the four angels "bound" at the "Euphrates River" is obvious. This is the realm of demonic domination, and at the same time of worldly power (like the "Babylon" of the later chapters of Revelation). Unlike the four angels VII, 1, who protect the earth from destructive winds, these are at the head of a devastating and demonic invasion. Obviously, they are only waiting for this opportunity, "prepared for a day and an hour, and a month, and a year, in order to kill a third of the people" (15). Unlike locusts, which have only to torture, and not to kill, these are given to "kill", although their lethality is only set within certain limits – of time and number of victims, namely, it extends to "a third of people" (15). Then it speaks of the number of cavalry troops", "two thousand themes" (16), millions. Antiquity generally did not know such a number of troops with their destructive effect, and the seer here penetrates the prophetic gaze in our days. What follows is a nightmarishly fantastic, almost delusional image of this army. The seer "saw him in a vision" (17), but in essence he already corresponds to what we are now contemporaries. Here a kind of demonic "tanks" and asphyxiating gases are described: "the riders wore armor of fire, hyacinth (blue) and sulfur; the horses' heads were like the heads of lions, from my mouth came fire, smoke and brimstone" (17). A third of the people died from these three plagues, and "the strength of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails, and the tails were like serpents, and had heads, and with them they harmed" (18-19). With regard to these images, it is necessary, as before, to abandon in advance the attempt to comprehend them as precisely as possible. These are images of clairvoyance regarding the demonic forces that have gained access to the human world. These pictures are like the delirium of hallucinating people in "mental illnesses", accompanied by all sorts of manias. At the end of Chapter IX, as if in response to all these plagues and horrors, the continuing impenitence of the "others" is testified, who have survived in the works of their hands, in all kinds of idolatry, "worship of demons" and in various sins: "their murders, sorcery, fornication, theft" (IX, 20-21).

A comparison of the end of Chapter IX with the final scene of Chapter VI of Article 12 (after the opening of the sixth seal) once again testifies to a certain parallelism in the content of Chapters VI-VIII and IX, the six seals and six trumpets, the appearance of four horsemen and locusts and mounted troops. These are not the events that follow one another, but different aspects of one historical process, let us take – which deserves special attention here – Chapter VI in its concluding verses brings the story even to a later time than the IX, already before the onset of God's preliminary judgment on the world, while the end of Chapter IX leaves the course of events still incomplete, continuing. This does not introduce a contradiction or contradiction between the sixth and ninth chapters of the six seals and six trumpets, but it clearly indicates that the plan of Revelation in its middle part contains a "recapitulation" or parallel, as we shall see later. In any case, the trumpets belong to the horrors and trials of the penultimate days, if not the very last. However, the prophetic meaning calls them not to intimidation, but to Christian courage. He says, "Do not be afraid; for this also must come to pass.

CHAPTER X

VISION OF THE MIGHTY ANGEL

This is an episodic chapter, a kind of prophetic intermezzo as an introduction to further revelations. Here is described the vision of a "mighty angel" (cf. V, 2) descending from heaven: clothed with clouds, a rainbow above his head, his face like the sun, his feet like pillars of fire, he puts his right foot on the sea, his left foot on the earth. He cries out in a loud voice, like a lion roaring (1-3). All this speaks of the high dignity of the heavenly messenger, whose angelic name, however, is not mentioned (and, of course, this is an angel, and not Christ Himself). The idea is expressed that it may be the Archangel Gabriel (and in V, 2 – Michael). He has in his hands "an open book" (2), and his voice is echoed by "seven thunders with their voices." Is this a voice from heaven at all, or does it refer to the sevenfold spiritual gifts and signifies the extreme importance and mystery of revelation? But when the seer wanted to write, it was forbidden to him by a voice from heaven. Consequently, there is a mystery of human destinies here, which must remain (for the time being) unknown to man. The angel, raising his hand to heaven, "swore" by the Creator of the universe to Him who lives forever, "that time will be no more" (16). Such an oath gives special force, importance and significance to these words "about time". However, these words cannot be understood in relation to temporal existence in general, which is already extinguished in eternity: on the contrary, time continues even after that, in accordance with the further content of Revelation. Together with the overwhelming majority of interpreters, these words: "χρόνος ουκέτι εσται" should be referred to a certain period of time as a period. This means that there will be no longer a delay in the onset of some final decisive events, which are already approaching with the seventh trumpet, but have not yet come with the previous trumpets (nor even with the demonic invasions of locusts and horsemen). Is it clear that the approaching Parousia, the Second Coming of Christ, is at hand here? And also no, firstly, because, according to the word of Christ, "of that day no one tidings, not even the Son of Man" (Mk. XIII, 32), and secondly, because the Parousia in general will not take place in the time calculated by earthly times and dates, but supra-temporally and super-temporally, with the beginning of modern times. If we attribute this text that "the time will be no more" to the Parousia, then we must directly conclude that this prophecy was not fulfilled, for the Parousia of Christ did not come in the days of John. The last prayer of Revelation, "Come," still leaves us in ignorance, though in Christian longing and expectation of this coming. Thus, the absence of an interval of time must be attributed to the general context of the sequence of events prophesied here in Revelation: this means that then the last hour of the world comes, the times of the Antichrist are approaching, corresponding to the last sorrow and the last trumpet. However, it must be firmly established that the historical chronology of this accomplishment, as well as of the preceding epoch (the six trumpets), also remains unknown here. It is outlined in the language of symbolic ontology, but not geography and history. It simply testifies to the internal, ontological sequence and connection of world events in their maturation towards the end. This also corresponds to the Gospel foreword of the Lord: "Take a likeness from the fig tree: when its branches are already soft and put forth leaves, you know that summer is near. Thus, when you see all these things, know that you are near, at the doors" (Matt. XXIV, 32-33). This "near, at the door" corresponds to the fact that "time will be no more" in Revelation. However, on the basis of all the rest of the content of Revelation, we indirectly conclude that the seer himself, although he desired, did not hope to live to see the Parousia and even to the last times of the Antichrist, but only prophesied about them. The mystery of God, which was proclaimed from heaven by seven thunders, he was forbidden to "write." "But in the days when the seventh angel shall cry, when he shall sound the trumpet (and yet the 'when' is unknown), the mystery of God shall be fulfilled, as he preached to his servants the prophets."7 The same idea can be expressed in such a way that in history and through history the mystery of meta-history, eschatology, which is transcendent, but at the same time immanent in history, is accomplished. It shines through it, but it does not fit into it. This last thought about the immanence of the transcendent, which is nevertheless realized in a certain accessibility to prophetic contemplation, is expressed at the end of the chapter, in its final images. The same voice from heaven commanded the seer to take the "open book" (of the fate of history) from the hands of the angel and eat it, and "it will be bitter in his belly, but sweet in his mouth," which he does (9-10). And as an explanation of this symbolic action, this angel said to him: "It behooves you to prophesy again about nations and nations and tongues and kings of many" (11). From the contemplation of the mysteries of heaven and in their light, we again turn our gaze to the earthly history of mankind (and consequently to historical time with its chronology), which has not yet ended, but continues, is still in full swing, in the middle of its development. However, it is a mistake to expect that this is where the presentation of earthly history begins, "peoples and tribes, languages and kings." This is not the case, the content of Revelation refers only to the historical ontology or philosophy of history, which is set forth not in the language of historical dates and facts, but in symbolic images expressing the spiritual essence of what is happening in historical empiricism, in so far as it becomes transparent in its spiritual content. This is the proper subject of Revelation as such, in its special way of perceiving both individual events and the general course of world history. "Again" – πάλιν – has a double meaning here: general and particular. The first is understood in the context of this Chapter X, in which the seer is taken beyond the history of this world, into the transcendental realm, which in this sense constitutes "the mystery of God — τò μυστήριον — as He preached the gospel also to the prophets" (7); In a particular sense, "again" means the continuation of the prophetic revelation about the paths of the history of mankind, but with new ones, which have not yet been revealed by the side about its further accomplishments.

The seer here contemplates as events and accomplishments that which has not been accomplished and has no existence for itself, and yet that which must be accepted already exists in Divine knowledge, and this is equivalent to the fact that it already exists, in God I am for God.

This question exceeds the power of human understanding, as it relates to the Divine life, to the way of leading the living God and Creator of the world in heavenly eternity. [39] God, on the one hand, creates the world in its originality and humanity in its freedom, releases them to this freedom of self-creative self-determination, and thereby places it, as it were, outside the prophesied foreknowledge of the future, which is new and unforeseeable, but at the same time He knows it, and to that extent determines it to come into being, for God's foreknowledge is not an abstract knowledge of something, outside of God, but it is at the same time the power of created being, in this knowledge of God it acquires for itself the power of being. And, in this case, the question arises, where is the place for created freedom and originality, for at least that "nothing" from which and in which man was created must remain to its lot? Here the two equally necessary aspects of the antinomy of creation meet and unite: on the one hand, the pre-existence of everything in God, super-temporal and super-historical, and, on the other, being, which arises anew in time and for time.

CHAPTER XI

THE FATE OF THE CHURCH MILITANT

The eleventh law of Revelation again seems to be a deviation from the general plan, unexpected and episodic, in particular from the preceding chapters VI-X about the seven seals and seven trumpets (which remain unfinished and are still broken off at the sixth trumpet). However, in essence, Chapter XI belongs to the general context of Revelation: it is this that is included in the depiction of the world struggle between light and dark forces, which takes place in history. If the symbolism of the preceding chapters refers to the general history of mankind, then Chapter XI is devoted to the fate of the Church, which is in this struggle. These destinies, as in the previous chapters, are set forth in symbolic images, which are especially difficult to understand in detail, although they are perfectly clear in their general meaning. Here some historical events are especially merged and intertwined, expressed in the language of traditional apocalypticism, characteristic of the epoch, with the manifestation of spiritual forces acting in history in almost indistinguishability. This makes the present chapter a subject of special artifices for exegetes, which, however, are incapable of leading to any indisputable and definitive conclusions. Here, as in many other problems of the Apocalypse, it must be remembered that the direct and precise prophetic meaning of these images, which is now insufficient for comprehension, will be revealed only in the future, with the onset of times and seasons.

"And a reed like a rod was given to me, and it was said, Arise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and those who worship in it" (1). It does not say directly whether it is an angel or Christ Himself, only the divine command of measuring with a "reed," which is the Old Testament (Ezek. XL, 16-19) and the New Testament (Rev. XXI, 15-16) an image to express the significance of an action. What kind of temple and altar are we talking about here? If we are talking about the Jerusalem Chronicle, then it was already destroyed at the time of writing, or at least the last editing of Revelation. Therefore, it is more preferable to understand here the temple and the spiritual altar, i.e. the Church, "those who worship in it." And this spiritual temple is contrasted with "the outer court of the temple, which is not measured, for it is given to the Gentiles, that is, to those who have fallen away from the Church and have not entered it. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months" (2). This period, of course, is also symbolic, and is applied in different ways (cf. Dan. VII, 25; XII, 7; Open. XIII, 5; XI, 3; XII, 6; XII, 14) on different occasions and, of course, it has a mystical, not a chronological meaning. Thus, here we see the opposition of the Church and the anti-Church, the two cities, civitas Dei and civitas diabolica. The first is given two witnesses who will prophesy for 1260 days (i.e., the same 42 months), clothed in sackcloth, "two olive trees and two lamps standing before the God of the earth" (4). They are under the special protection and care of heaven (5) and have the power to "shut up the heavens, that it may not rain at the time of their prophecy, and they have power over the waters, to turn them into blood, and to smite the earth with every plague whenever they please" (6-7). This is an analogy with Fr. Elijah: 2 Kings. I, 10 ff.; Ip. Sire. XLVIII, 3; See also 1 Kings. XVII, 1. Usually these two witnesses are identified with Moses and Elijah, as well as with Jeremiah. (The first Egyptian plague refers more to Moses; Exod. VII, 14 ff.; 2 Kings. I, 10; 1 Kings. XVII, 1 ff.). (Elijah is depicted as a precursor to the Second Coming in Orthodox worship as well.) Equally acceptable is not only the particular interpretation of these images as definite persons and prophets,[40] but also a more general understanding of them as the bearers of the spiritual power of "prophecy." Both interpretations are mutually incompatible, but it is hardly appropriate to assign these images primarily or exclusively to the two Old Testament prophets. It is also difficult to interpret v. 5 literally: "If anyone wants to offend them, fire will come out of their mouth and devour their enemies; if anyone wants to offend them, he must be killed" (5). If we see here spiritual, prophesied forces, then it is more natural to understand here their spiritual, victorious influence. Signs and wonders can be interpreted as the power of prayer of the Church and her prophets.

However, the power of the witnesses has for itself a limited time, which ends ("when they finish their testimony"). This is a certain period of time, a historical epoch, which is replaced by the opposite. It is "the beast that comes out of the abyss that will fight with them, and will overcome them, and will kill them" (7). Who is this beast? Some see here the appearance of a personal Antichrist, which did not yet exist in the previous images of Revelation. But in such an interpretation, it seems, there is no direct exegetical necessity. The collective Antichrist (referred to in 1 Jn. II, 18: "now there are many antichrists") expresses in general the anti-Christian movement that appears from the beginning in world history. It also took place in early Christianity during the persecutions, but it reaches its maximum development in our days. All this fits into the general meaning of the image: "the beast that comes out of the abyss will fight with them, and will overcome them, and will kill them" (7). "The beast that comes out of the abyss" is a general mythological designation of the dark, demonic forces that we encounter repeatedly in the pages of Revelation. Then, obviously, follows an allegorical description of the victorious triumph of the enemy: "And their corpses will be left in the street of the great city, which is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, where our Lord is also crucified" (8). The last words speak of Jerusalem as a symbol of militant Judaism. However, let us remember that it was already destroyed when Revelation was written, and let us accept that Jerusalem did not deserve to be called "Sodom and Egypt" at the time of its historical existence. That is why we have to accept this topography allegorically, like historical world centers in general, and first of all, of course, Rome at the time of the writing of Revelation, and in our own day all sorts of centers of population accumulation in general, which, in turn or simultaneously, deserve these names of Sodom and Egypt. However, it is not excluded that in the future fate of Jerusalem there are still hidden such possibilities of an anti-Christian movement that are known to the prophetic gaze of the seer. Verses that speak of the triumph of the sons of the earth at the sight of these "corpses" can have the same allegorical meaning, which is described in detail in concrete terms (vv. 9-10). It seemed to godlessness that faith in God on earth was finally finished, so that this end could be celebrated. How many times in the history of the world, and even now, before our eyes, has such an opinion arisen, which, however, has proved illusory, and the victory of unbelief is only temporary. This temporality is indicated by the apocalyptic period: "three and a half days, when all will look at their corpses," and, obviously, to delight in the spectacle of their decomposition. Three and a half is generally one of the apocalyptic numbers used to determine the duration of mystical accomplishments, times, and seasons (cf. Prophet Daniel: "time, times, and half a time") (Dan. XII, 7). It is also expressed [41] in different periods: 42 months (Rev. XI and XIII, 5; XII, 14), 1260 days (XI, 3; XII, 6). The peculiarity of this context of the eleventh chapter is that while the two witnesses have 1260 days to prophesy, i.e., three and a half years (and the same period of time is given to the Gentiles to trample on the holy city: v. 2), the unburied corpses of the witnesses remain the object of the enemy's triumph for only three and a half days. This silent symbolism of numbers, of course, speaks of the relative inner weakness of the enemies of the faith. At the end of this period, a salvific spiritual reaction occurs: "the spirit of life from God entered into them, and both of them stood on their feet, and great fear fell upon those who looked at them" (11). This resurrection of the dead, quite unexpected for the enemies of the faith, whether we understand the witnesses as certain God-chosen bearers of the spirit of God or as the force of the Church's life – conciliarity – contains a joyful prophecy about the invincibility of faith on earth and about its victorious triumph in the world, similar to the spiritual resurrection from the dead. In general, this is one of the prophecies of Revelation which, along with the fact that they reveal the most terrible and tragic pages in the history of the struggle between Christianity and anti-Christianity, also contain the most invigorating promises that affirm Christian hope. This rise from dead witnesses is accompanied by a special spiritual sign about the meaning and power of what happened. It is a loud voice from heaven that says to them: "Come up here. And they ascended into heaven on a cloud, and their enemies looked at them" (12-13). Again, this ascent to heaven on a cloud does not require a literal physical understanding at all, because it can simply mean a clear spiritual triumph of witnesses and their testimonies. However, it is not necessary, of course, to exclude the possibility of some actual event, which in the mysterious future will be expressed in a clear sign, obvious to everyone. Such is the property of apocalyptic images in general, which in their polysemantic nature permeate several different planes. We believe that there is no need to invent or invent them.